This great temple of Sri Narasimhar is located about 55 km from Chennai, in a place named Narasingapuram, while travelling from Chennai to Sriperumbudur on the National Highway. Devotees have to take a right turn near Empee Distillers and travel through the road to reach this temple.

          From the days of glory and grandeur that prevailed in South India the temple of Lakhsmi Narasimha at Narasingapuram still boasts the era of Cholas and Vijayanagara Rayas. The Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is situated in a beautiful village of Narasingapuram believed to be named after the temple. The village is well connected to nearby Perambakkam where you have to alight in order get there.

          In the early period of Cholas Saivism took prominence and Vaishnavism was suppressed by it. Even amidst the situation prevailed in south India the temple of Lakhsmi Narasimha enjoyed patronage and was well governed.

          Later at the glorious era of Vijayanagara nayaks where Vaishnavism flourished and given much importance in both politics and as a religion, the Lakhsmi Narasimha temple became important along with sriperumbudur which is a Divya desam. And the temple is also nearer to sriperumbudur. Vijayanagara Nayak Emperors patronised it and gave many villages as charter to the temple’s development and as well as the religion.

          There are as many as 14 inscriptions in and around the temple in which two of them belong to the Chola period. And this stands evidence that the temple even survived the Saivism wave that took effect under the Cholas in the early period like many other important Vaishnavite temples that survived it in South India in the early period.

          VIJAYANAGARA INSCRIPTIONS

          The 12 stone inscriptions that are found in the temple dates back to the Vijayanagar period describe about the glorious past of temple and the Emperors. Most of the inscriptions belong to the reign of Emperor Atchudha Deva Maharaya describing about the donations and renovating construction led by his government at the temple. In those five important inscriptions belong to the years of A.D. 1533, 1534 and 1536 which are some of the important years of his rule. Emperor Atchudha Deva Maharaya is the younger brother of Krishna Devaraya whose reign was considered to be the golden period of south Indian history. One inscription belongs to the reign of Venkatapathy Deva Maharaya describing about his esteemed work for the temple. It dates back to the year 1608 and also considered to be the latest inscription to be found in the temple premises.

          All these inscriptions are in Sanscritised Telugu which is still a local language prevailing in the surrounding areas of Narasingapuram.

          SACRED KITCHEN FOR GOD

          In every old temple in South India there would be a place for cooking in order to present it to the lord and there is such a place even in Lakhsmi Narasimha temple. The sacred kitchen which is known as “madapalli” in the regional language is meant for preparing offerings to the lord. In order to prepare the Neivedhiyam (offerings to lord) in a clean and sacred way no one is let inside the kitchen unnecessarily to maintain the sanctum of the place. But in Narasingapuram Lakhsmi Narasimha temple even the water is also not brought from outside as there is a fully equipped well that is built within the madaplli to avoid bringing water from outside the temple.